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Incontinence after second spinal fusion

Started by Sonrorri on 06/13/2016 10:59pm

I have recently had a second disk removed and fused from my spine on levels c6-c7, I had surgery over two years ago to take out c5 but after a year I was still suffering with chronic pain and other issues such as loss of power in my legs and also worsening incontinence, lack of power in both my bladder and bowel, I struggle to go to toilet to empty my bowel I now feel like I push from my stomach / abdomen, also when I empty my bladder I only have enough much control of it and lose any power over warning signs that I may need to go to toilet on a night and just end up waking up halfway through my bladder emptying with no warning, I am lucky I have a very understanding partner who plays down the severity of what happens to me on a night, it's not every night this happens or I would take precautions to make sure it didn't, it just seems to happen occasionaly when I'm least expecting it, I have been prescribed imipramine which did help but made it a lot harder for me to go to empty my bladder during the day.
I am not coping with it very well, my partner seems a lot less bothered about it than I am bit it really gets me down, I am sick of waking up either in chronic pain every 3-4 hours (once my painkillers wear off) or with my bladder emptying uncontrollably, I'm 29 and the problems I face are usually problems people face later on in life, I know there are people out there a lot worse than I am but neurosurgeons seem to think my problems are going to be for the long term.
It gets me really down thinking I may face this for the rest of my life, I have two children and another on the way and I am worried that I am just going to continue to be facing the issues I do forever.
I had a bike accident 4 years ago which I didn't go to hospital for, I felt like I had slept funny at the time thought nothing of it til about two years later, my arms started to go numb and my legs weakened, I used to have two dogs that I'd walk around a large field at least twice a day, I became uneasy on my feet almost walking like I was drunk and lost a lot of sensation in my arms, after numerous attempts to get seen by a neurologist I eventually saw one who said I had myelits although this was never confirmed I reacted well to steroid treatment and surgery, I got my legs back and had a lot more sensation when I needed to empty my bladder also a lot more warning and time to get to the toilet, since that surgery I have never been right again, I felt signs of deterioration within 6 months, reported it to my gp and it took them another 10-12 months to get me seen by another neurologist who confirmed I needed c6 out and fusing, by this point I had weakened legs again and numbness in my arms again not as bad as the first time but if left I feel it would of been, I was in a wheelchair for a couple of months the first time before surgery. Since the last operation I have had even more incontinence problems also e.d and I find it very hard to control my pain, I am on a lot of pain relief, I take pregablin 300ml twice a day 30mg oxycontin twice a day 10ml oxycodone for breakthrough pains which are quite often, 20mg baclofen 4 times a day, paracetamol and naproxen for anti inflammatory use but I still suffering with chronic pain every day.
I realise that this is a lot of meds and I have told the pain management team I don't want to be on this amount of opiods but they still won't reduce me until I finish, physio and hydrotherapy, I'm just wondering if there are any other people out there who have similar problems or have any advice for me as this is causing a major impact on my mental health now and makes me feel really down, I do see people for counselling but they haven't been through what I am and will never understand how it makes me feel going through all of this, as I said my partner is very understanding and has stuck with me throughout these issues but I don't even think she knows how much this affects me mentally. I am sorry for the long post and angry response would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.